Do you ever feel stuck with your art? Like maybe you have a lot of ideas but they’re not coming out right or maybe you’re getting bored with your usual style and subject matter.
I felt that way. Finding my way back to my artist self since becoming a mother has been a long road filled with pot holes and dead ends with some really stellar views in between. I feel like I’m finally starting to get the hang of juggling the needs of my family, myself, and my inner artist.
As a way to find focus and intention, I’m taking an art business and magic course led by Asheville artist Alena Hennessy. Although her style is very different from mine, I had a good time trying some of her techniques. It reminded me of some of the art play I would do in my sketchbooks that led to my Rainbow Portraits.
She suggested we lay out 4 cradled wood panels and layer up liquid acrylic (I used my watercolor inks), more opaque paint, then paint a design on top.
I thought I would incorporate one of my favorite types of imagery: old farmhouses. I still intend to do more oil painting landscape types of old houses, but in the mean time these were a lot of fun! It felt great to loosen up and do something fresh and totally different.
I had to figure out how best to place the houses so they interacted with the abstract landscape behind them.
I love how the pink and purple blob in the one below transformed into a strange figure, which I helped to pop by painting around her and bringing out details.
The strange perspective on this one below draws attention to the sky above.
This one looks like something out of a fairy tale:
I love how the green in this turned into a tree line that almost glows:
The cheerful colors really helped get me through all the rainy cold weather we’ve been having! They’re available in my Etsy shop now! Bodelia.etsy.com
I can’t wait to get back into the studio and see what comes next!
HARPER LEICH 